Coffee Tourism Finds an Upscale Home in Belize

If milk and sugar distract you from detecting the subtle floral notes in your (twice) daily espresso, it may be time to schedule a vacation to fit your coffee obsession. Visiting a coffee plantation isn’t unlike a trip to wine country—the scenery can be quite similar, with sophisticated tastings to boot—but only recently have we found one where the creature comforts match the standards of your morning cup. The place to go? Belize’s Belcampo, which recently partnered with Blue Bottle Coffee to take their impressive culinary programs into a buzzier domain.

At Belcampo, three- and five-day programs take guests from coffee cherry to cappuccino by learning about harvesting, roasting, tasting, and brewing. Because Belcampo has a focus on preserving Belizean food traditions, things are a bit different than in other parts of the world—rather than tour a factory-style building where roasting happens in massive steel cylinders, local Maya women guide participants through a traditional comal roasting over an open fire hearth.

A guided cupping can help enthusiasts grow their palate (did you know there are three times as many aromatics in coffee than in wine?) and brewing lessons get you feeling like a pro behind a fancy La Marzocco machine. Plus, you’ll learn about the best at-home brewing methods so that you can make the most of your carefully sourced and roasted beans—a souvenir you don’t have to ask twice about.